Description
Kousa Bi Liban is a traditional Lebanese dish of tender zucchini stuffed with spiced beef and rice, simmered in broth, and finished in a creamy yogurt sauce infused with garlic and mint. It’s hearty, aromatic, and a comforting taste of Lebanese home cooking.
Ingredients
2 tbsp ghee or butter
1/3 cup (50g) pine nuts
1/4 cup (60g) raw medium-grain rice, soaked 30–45 minutes
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
250g (8.8 oz) beef mince
1/4 cup chopped parsley, coriander, and mint
3 tsp baharat or 7 spice blend
1.5 tsp salt
1kg (2.2 lbs) Lebanese zucchini (kousa)
4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp dried mint
1/2 tsp salt
300g (10.6 oz) natural yogurt
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup reserved cooking water
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Toast pine nuts in ghee or butter until golden. Reserve half for garnish. In a bowl, mix soaked rice, onion, garlic, beef mince, herbs, baharat, salt, and half the toasted pine nuts. Chill the mixture while preparing zucchini.
- Hollow and stuff the zucchini: Using a zucchini corer (manakra), hollow out each zucchini, keeping ends intact. Stuff each about three-quarters full to allow rice to expand.
- Cook the stuffed zucchini: Bring chicken stock to a simmer and gently place zucchinis in the pot. Simmer for 25–30 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender but not mushy. Remove zucchinis and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
- Prepare garlic-mint mix: Crush garlic with dried mint and a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle.
- Make the yogurt sauce: In a pot, combine yogurt and the cornflour-water mixture over medium heat. Whisk constantly, adding reserved cooking water gradually to prevent curdling. When thickened, stir in garlic-mint mixture.
- Combine and serve: Return stuffed zucchinis to the yogurt sauce and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Serve hot, topped with remaining toasted pine nuts.
Notes
Use lamb instead of beef for a richer flavor.
Keep heat moderate when making yogurt sauce to avoid curdling.
For vegetarian version, substitute filling with rice, lentils, and mushrooms.
Fresh mint can replace dried mint for a brighter aroma.
Greek yogurt may be used but should be thinned slightly with water or stock.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2 stuffed zucchinis)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
